Finally Going the “Long Distance”: Sci-Fi Comedy Lands on Streaming After Five-Year Wait

For years, anticipation simmered among sci-fi fans for Long Distance, the comedy-adventure
film starring Anthony Ramos and Naomi Scott. Originally announced in 2019 under the title
“Distant” and shot in 2020, the movie faced a tumultuous journey through multiple release

delays, seemingly vanishing from Universal Pictures’ schedule. But the wait is officially over:
Long Distance finally crash-landed onto Hulu on July 3, 2025, to the delight of audiences.

Initially slated for a theatrical release in 2022, the film was pushed back several times before
being removed from Universal’s slate entirely in late 2023. Reports suggested that the studio
struggled with how to effectively market the unique blend of sci-fi action and comedy to a wide
audience. However, after a theatrical premiere in Vietnam in July 2024, the film made its
long-awaited debut in the United States on Hulu, quickly becoming a hit on the streaming
service.

Long Distance follows asteroid miner Andy after his spaceship crash-lands on a desolate alien
planet. Running out of oxygen and hunted by hostile creatures, he must traverse the
treacherous terrain to find the only other known survivor, Naomi, who is trapped in her escape
pod. Guiding him is the voice of his AI survival suit, L.E.O.N.A.R.D. The film has been praised
for its entertaining blend of humor, light suspense, and surprisingly good visual effects, given its
delayed release.

The success of the film, where it quickly climbed the charts, serves as a testament to the
audience’s appetite for new and engaging sci-fi content, even if it takes a while to arrive. After
years of speculation and anticipation, the film has finally gone the “long distance” to reach its
viewers, proving that sometimes, the best things are worth the wait.